Phoenix Gold Golf & Country Club is the quiet overachiever of Pattaya golf: a 27-hole Denis Griffiths design from 1993 that, after a thorough mid-2010s rebuild, spent four straight seasons hosting European Tour, Asian Tour and Ladies European Tour golf — including the day a 14-year-old Atthaya Thitikul became the youngest winner in LET history. For the visiting golfer, that translates into tour-tested conditioning and genuine variety at a price point below the area’s marquee names. If your Pattaya week has room for one course beyond the obvious headliners, this is a very strong case.
This profile covers the three nines and how they differ, the tournament record, the holes worth planning for, and the practical details of getting there and fitting it into a wider trip built around our Pattaya golf guide.
The course itself
The club sits on gently rolling ground at Huai Yai, south-east of Pattaya, and has been a 27-hole facility since American architect Denis Griffiths — a past president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, who went on to design the celebrated Thai Country Club outside Bangkok — laid it out in 1993. The three nines are named Ocean, Lakes and Mountain, and any two combine for a par-72 round; each nine plays to par 36. Published cards vary slightly by combination, but the Mountain–Ocean pairing measures around 6,770 yards from the back tees, with other published totals running to roughly 6,800 — long enough to be a real test, short enough to stay enjoyable in the heat.
The modern course dates from a change of ownership. Chanya Swangchitr took over the club in 2013 and commissioned a comprehensive renovation, begun in late 2014 under Thai designer Pirapon Namatra of GolfEast and completed one nine at a time, the Mountain and Ocean nines by mid-2015 and the rebuilt Lakes nine reopening at the end of December 2015. The Ocean and Mountain nines kept their routing but had bunkers, tee boxes and drainage rebuilt; the clubhouse, pro shop, restaurant and locker rooms were upgraded at the same time. The character throughout is classic Thai parkland — contoured fairways framed by mature trees, sprawling shallow bunkers, and greens with more slope in them than the friendly fairways suggest.
Ocean nine
A favourite with locals and visitors alike, and the one to insist on. The renovation cleared low vegetation to open long views — hills to the north and the Gulf away to the west — and the ground climbs gradually through holes four to six before the payoff at the ninth: an elevated tee with a panoramic view over the Gulf of Thailand.
Lakes nine
The shortest of the three loops (about 3,280 yards from the tips) and, since the renovation, the most changed: Pirapon Namatra re-routed several holes, added new water hazards, moved tees and built a handful of new greens. It is the placement nine — small lakes and ponds punish loose driving and careless lay-ups far more than raw length ever will.
Mountain nine
The scenic loop, played against a backdrop of folding, jungle-covered hills that stay in view for most of the nine. Fairways here have real three-dimensional movement, asking you to judge stance and shot shape rather than simply hit it straight.
A serious tournament résumé
Few Thai courses outside the Bangkok elite have hosted this density of professional golf. In July 2016 the King’s Cup, co-sanctioned by the European Tour and Asian Tour with a US$750,000 purse, was played here — Chan Shih-chang of Chinese Taipei won on 268, twelve under, two clear of Lin Wen-tang. In December 2017 the club staged the inaugural Royal Cup, a US$500,000 Asian Tour special event won by India’s Shiv Kapur, and the tournament returned as a full Asian Tour event in July 2018, when South Africa’s Justin Harding ran away by six shots on 266.
The club’s most famous moment, though, belongs to the Ladies European Thailand Championship, staged here from 2017 to 2019. In the 2017 edition, Thai amateur Atthaya Thitikul won at 14 years, 4 months and 19 days old — the youngest winner of a Ladies European Tour event, breaking Lydia Ko’s record. She returned in 2019 and won again at 16, shooting a course-record 63 in the third round on her way to 266, twenty-two under par. Kanyalak Preedasuttijit took the 2018 edition in between. The club also lists the 2015 All Thailand Golf Championship among its hosted events.
The holes worth knowing
- Ocean 9th — the signature view. The tee is set high above the fairway, looking out over the Gulf of Thailand and the Pattaya coastline; late afternoon is the time to play it.
- Mountain 6th — from here you can see the sheer cliff face of Khao Chi Chan and its colossal laser-etched, gold-inlaid image of the Buddha, the same landmark that gives nearby Chee Chan Golf Resort its name.
- Lakes 6th — the boldest product of the renovation, a par five that doglegs sharply right over water; position off the tee decides whether the green is reachable or unthinkable.
- Lakes 8th — a tough par four bending around a pond, demanding an accurate drive and a committed approach.
Location and getting there
Phoenix Gold is at 111 Moo 9 Sukhaphiban 2 Road in Huai Yai, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri — south-east of Pattaya, on the Jomtien side of town. Published distances from central Pattaya vary from about 10 to 18 km depending on your starting point; in practice allow 25–30 minutes by car, a little less from Jomtien. The club puts the drive from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) at 134 km, which works out to roughly an hour and three-quarters on the motorway. U-Tapao (UTP), south towards Sattahip, is the closest airport — roughly 24 km by road, so allow half an hour. The location also makes Phoenix Gold an easy same-area pairing with Chee Chan Golf Resort, a ten-to-fifteen-minute hop away on the same southern side of Pattaya.
Practical notes
- Caddies are mandatory, as at most Thai clubs — see our guide to caddies in Thailand for how fees and tipping etiquette work.
- Carts are available and widely used; the terrain undulates gently, so fit golfers can walk, but the Ocean nine’s climb from the 4th to the 6th earns its buggy in hot season.
- Spikes: the club is a non-metal-spike facility.
- Hours: the club advertises itself as open every day, 6am to 6pm — an early tee keeps you ahead of both the heat and the field. Our best time to golf in Thailand guide covers the seasonal picture.
- Pricing: mid-market for Pattaya — generally positioned below the Siam Country Club courses and Chee Chan, which is precisely what makes its tour pedigree such good value. Rates move with season and booking channel, so confirm current fees with the club directly (verify before you book).
- Stay-and-play: the club has on-site townhouses and villas with private pools, useful for a golf-first stay away from Pattaya proper.
- Higher handicaps are well served: the Ocean–Mountain combination offers forward tees at around 5,200 yards and relatively open driving lines, while better players can chase the Lakes nine’s water for a sterner examination.
Is it right for your trip?
Play Phoenix Gold if you want tour-grade golf without tour-grade pricing, if 27 holes and flexible combinations appeal for a repeat visit, or if the idea of standing on the tee where a 14-year-old rewrote LET history adds something to the round — it should. Skip it only if your trip is a one-round, bucket-list affair: in that case the Siam Country Club Old Course, with its LPGA history, or Chee Chan’s dramatic setting will scratch the itch better. Everyone else should find room for it — as a second or third round in Pattaya it has few rivals.
For the wider picture, start with our Golf in Thailand hub and the Pattaya guide linked above. If you like the 27-hole format, compare it with the Jack Nicklaus-designed Laem Chabang International Country Club on the northern side of town, then build your itinerary from there.